American Pie 5 in the works?

February 28, 2013 - By Andrew Flynn

Are you ready for American Pie 5? Paul Weitz (director of American Pie and producer of American Pie 2 and American Reunion) has hinted that a fifth instalment of the teen comedy franchise is likely to be on the cards.

The franchise has been an incredibly consistent earner since it’s 1999 debut, having grossed almost $1 billion worldwide across four movies. It also helped to launch the careers of Alyson Hannigan (TV’s How I Met Your Mother, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Seann William Scott (Role Models, Road Trip)

The director/producer told The Hollywood Reporter that he would be pleased for the franchise to continue with American Pie 5:

I’m happy that keeps on going. I imagine [there will be]. I think this one kind of benefited from it being seven years since the last one, so there’s a curiosity factor.

It kind of happens where they tell me about it, and I go “Neat.” And if they want my two cents, I give it.

He also revealed that he was happy to take a back seat on American Reunion:

I read the script and I told those guys, who I thought did a good job, I gave them some ideas. Most of them weren’t used, a couple were useful.

The American Pie franchise has seen a steady decline in popularity since American Wedding in 2003, and AmericanReunion’s success can be almost entirely attributed to the franchise’s international longevity. The film’s final gross was almost $235 million worldwide (though its domestic tally barely surpassed $57 million compared to an international gross of $177.9 million)

It will be interesting to see whether the global interest in the franchise can be sustained for American Pie 5, but with a strong story, it’s probably a safe bet.